February 13, 2014

Our Days are Numbered

Over at The Atlantic, Megan Garber has written a lovely essay on the history of telephone area codes and their cultural significance:

Long ago divested of its original role, the three-digit code now functions as a kind of shared social media handle, a collective identity. It’s no longer something to be remembered—we have our phones for that—but is instead something to be talked about. I meet someone at a party. We exchange numbers. “Oh, 510!” I might say. “I was in Oakland a few weeks ago!”

“And 831!” the new acquaintance might reply. “I love the Aquarium!”

Well worth checking out.

Comments

I wonder if there will be a 'peak telephone numbers' some day (and whether it will be before 2038 when the NANPA space runs out according to the article).
The use of pagers has dropped to such a low level several paging frequencies are now disabled and planned frequencies haven't been activated. The same could happen to the telephone network some day.